Paddling in the Wake of the Cross
A Fantastical Tale
by
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“That is where they are all currently gathered. Leviathan, the other Territorial Spirits, Island Guardians and senior officials.”
The Captain pointed to the cave opening of Be’er Shachat.
“They’ve been in there chewing the fat for a couple of days now, but tonight is the finale, the high point of the gathering. In the meantime, the Family and Kashariyot members, as Susanna has told you, have been in place for a couple of weeks, and right now are deep in prayer and worship in preparation for the finale.”
“This is a really, really, creepy place, Captain, when will you be taking us to join the others?” I whispered.
“You five are now ready to play the parts for which you were commissioned, way back on your primrose yellow boat, Sally.” The Captain and Doc Rafael both looked quite solemn. “Your parts are down here with a few of us.”
“Down here? Are you sure?” Wheezed Pig, as the rest of us waited, slack-jawed and bug-eyed.
“But, Captain, I have no idea what my part is, and I’m sure the others don’t either!” I gabbled.
“Besides which, I know there are heaps more qualified people to be down here, on the frontline. Really, look at us, Captain! You can’t get anyone or any animals less qualified. I’m no saint, I’m way, way below par, compared to others. I’ve got a splotchy past, an iffy present and I’ll never set the world on fire.
“Not to be unkind, but the others aren’t superstars either. People mostly think pigs are dirty, smelly, or just plain ‘unclean’. Owls are supposed to be wise, but superstition paints them them as ‘unclean’ eerie harbingers of death. Donkeys are stubborn and not too bright. And black cats frighten the tar out of a lot of us. Except witches, apparently.”
“My point exactly!” Captain retorted.
“You five are perfect for the job. Have you so soon forgotten what Paul wrote? That God chose the ‘weak and foolish’ to bring down the ‘wise and powerful’?
“Your parts are easy enough, but they take a bit of courage. All you have to do is confuse the enemy with some diversionary tactics at the beginning of the ceremony, and Yosa will do the rest!”
“Well, if that’s all there is to it, why all the fuss?” I replied, in a lip-trembling mixture of sarcasm, fear and indignation.
“Easy-peasy, Sally, we’re pretty good at confusing everyone, eh?” Pig winked bravely, trying to hide the terror welling up in his eyes.
“Good! Now that we’re all agreed on your role in this drama, it’s time to relieve Donkey of his burden.” Captain nodded, ignoring the rising hysteria in my voice.
“Come on, everyone, give us a hand here!” Several others, obviously Family or Kahsariyot members, emerged from the undergrowth to help, and it soon became apparent what Donkey had been carrying. Seven huge shofars (rams’ horns), two large beams of wood, which were quicky snapped together to form a cross, along with communion wine and bread. The Captain and Doc Rafael stood by giving instructions and then called the five of us aside. We listened solemnly to what they were telling us, after which I joined the others to take communion, while Kitty, Owl, Pig and Donkey kept watch along with the Captain and Roger. Finally, we were ready to face the music. Or whatever.
The shofars sounded seven times,
And then silence fell on the mountain
And then another seven times
The blast of shofars shattered the stillness
And then a thunderous roar from a thousand voices
Circled the mountain
Praising God
Filling our ears
And under the wings of two immense and towering angelic beings
Donkey led the way into the foul darkness of Be’er Shachat
Wearing proudly the cross-shaped markings on his back
A reminder to all his kind that they had been especially chosen
by the King of Kings
To take Him to His destiny
And I followed, carrying on high the ruggedly-made cross
and calling out:
“The Lamb of God has conquered, come, let us follow him!”
A reminder to all who are weak and powerless and sinful and simple
That with Christ
“We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us”
(Romans 8:37 WEB)
And Pig followed with Owl and Kitty
Trophies of His Love and Grace
That we should know it is He alone
Who cleans those things considered by the world unclean
Sudden and fierce was the assault from the ghoulish guardians of Be’er Shachat
Until we found our terrified voices and cried out
“We praise You alone, Lord God Almighty, for Your love and mercy and power endure
forever!”
Curdling the horror and savagery of the raven-faced bats
As we cried ever and again
“We Praise You alone, LORD our God, for You love and mercy and power endure forever!”
Until, crazed by the words we uttered
They turned away from us
To vent their fury and ferocity on each other.
And then two angelic voices
Thunder and Whirlwind
Drowned the demon screeches
With voices from the soul of the universe
And filled the cave:
“LORD, God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Let it be known today that you are God…
Hear me, Yahweh, hear me, that this people may know that you, Yahweh, are God.
(1 Kings 18:36-37 WEB)
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About the Book
The pure and unadulterated message of the Cross is so powerful that, if we grasp it with both hands, we will find ourselves on a fantastical adventure towards fulfilment, both personally, and for those whose lives we touch - and even for those whose lives we never come near! Paddling in the wake of the Cross is a bumpy and unpredictable ride, and we often find ourselves in the company of unusual fellow pilgrims - weird and wonderful humans, as well as the ‘spotted and speckled’ members of the animal kingdom. It’s these unlikely comrades who often bolster our faith in extraordinary ways as we huddle together in our storm-tossed boats, encouraging each others’ souls and spirits to carry on paddling, praying and interceding. And, as our intimacy with our Lord grows, we find that our paddling becomes less frantic as we learn to rely more and more on the One who makes the “rough places smooth.” (Isaiah 45:2)
About the Author
In her book “Show Me Your Face, Lord”, Sally Silvershoes traced her quest to draw closer to God through wilderness experiences, prayer and His grace. Her continuing desire for greater intimacy with the Lord, and passion for the Gospel message of the Cross to be preached to all nations, has led her to serve on mission boards and undertake short-term mission trips to various locations. And putting into practice her M.A. in Christian Studies, she has discovered that the adventure of following God also happens in the places of quiet and solitude, where daily experiences - from stretching family circumstances, to teaching English to migrants, and from serving on prayer ministry teams to singing “Yes Jesus loves you” to shelter kittens – always bring her one small step deeper into the heart of God.